2025-09-11 マサチューセッツ大学アマースト校
Microscopy images of antigen-inexperienced (‘naïve’) mouse CD8 T cells (green). A subset of these cells expresses Dapl1 protein (red), identifying a population committed to a memory stem-like lineage. Nuclei are shown in blue.
<関連情報>
- https://www.umass.edu/news/article/scientists-find-some-pathogen-fighting-cells-contain-inherent-immunological-memory
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx5687
Dapl1陽性ナイーブCD8 T細胞サブポピュレーションは記憶系前駆細胞に富む A Dapl1+ subpopulation of naïve CD8 T cells is enriched for memory-lineage precursors
Adam C. Lynch, Kaito A. Hioki, Xueting Liang, Iris Thesmar, […] , and Leonid A. Pobezinsky
Science Advances Published:22 Aug 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx5687
Abstract
Memory CD8 T cells provide long-lasting immunity, but their developmental origins remain incompletely defined. Growing evidence suggests that functional heterogeneity exists within the naïve T cell pool, shaping lineage potential before antigen stimulation. Here, we identify a subpopulation of naïve CD8 T cells expressing death-associated protein-like 1 (Dapl1) that contains preprogrammed precursors biased toward memory differentiation. The differentiation of these precursors is independent of Dapl1 but relies on the transcription factor B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia 11b (Bcl11b), resulting in the generation of Dapl1+ central memory–like CD8 T cells after infection and stem-like memory cells in cancer. Dapl1+ naïve T cells originate among mature thymocytes and gradually appear in the periphery postnatally. Peripheral Dapl1+ and Dapl1– populations show limited plasticity, supporting a thymic-imprinting model. These findings reveal a developmentally imprinted subset of naïve CD8 T cells committed to memory fate, uncovering an alternative pathway for memory T cell generation offering new avenues for therapeutic application.
